Lakshmi Singh

Stephen VossNPR

Lakshmi Singh is midday newscaster for NPR. She joined NPR's award-winning Newscast Unit in 2000.

Singh's experience extends beyond the studio booth to domestic and international field reporting. From comprehensive coverage of the infamous sniper shootings in the Washington, DC, area to in-depth feature reporting on immigration from both sides of the border, Singh's stories reflect the magic of radio. In her pieces, Singh tries to get the right mix of rich sound and descriptive narrative to transport listeners to a place hidden deep in one's imagination. That was never more challenging for Singh than during her time in Haiti as a documentary producer for Soundprint. She uncovered compelling stories of women struggling to live with HIV/AIDS while their politically embattled government in Haiti was on the verge of collapse.

As a regular contributor to NPR's Latino USA, Singh is passionate about issues that affect Hispanics today. The diversity questions Singh has faced due to her biracial background (Singh's mother is Puerto Rican, her father is from Trinidad) have led her to take unconventional approaches to many stories.

Before coming to NPR, Singh was a budding reporter at WAER in Syracuse and later a local host and reporter at NPR member stations KPBX in Spokane, WMFE in Orlando, and WAMU in Washington. Singh has also contributed to PRI, Voice of America, and Gannett News Service.

Lakshmi Singh graduated from Syracuse University in 1994, with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and Latin American studies.

Small flickering oil lamps known as diyas are lighting up Indian homes in South Asian communities around the globe on Sunday as hundreds of millions of people observe Diwali.

Otherwise known as the Festival of Lights, it's a religious celebration of self-awareness and reflection. Diwali is a public holiday in a number of other nations, but it's not nearly so well-known in the U.S., where families must rely on themselves to keep the tradition alive.